New Terms of Service for Twitter: "...what’s yours is yours – you own your content"

[Vincent Wright]

I like this part of Twitter's new Terms of Service: "...what’s yours is yours – you own your content":

It's good to see a social media company be that clear about user generated content.

For Twitter's other Terms of Service, visit: http://twitter.com/tos

[Rocque]

So saying I have to give my dog a bath would be mine? If I said it first it now has a copyright to me?
I am not sure I understand that one.

[Vincent Wright]

This really isn't so much about copyright as it is about ownership of materials associated with your name.

For example, if you post something that someone else has already legally copyrighted elsewhere, your posting that same material to Twitter doesn't give you a copyright which supersedes the legal copyright which has been established via such entities as the Library of Congress or other acceptable means of copyright. (Do I need to say that I am not an attorney? :-))

[Yvonne LaRose]

While it's refreshing to see that a social media company recognizes ownership, it's still another thing to stand behind their policies.

I discovered my Twitter account was hacked on July 30 and a seven-day suspension was invoked. At the end of the seven days, there was a press release that announced that several Twitter and Facebook accounts had been hacked and spam sent through them.

Was my suspension automatically lifted at the end of those seven days, as promised? No. Was it lifted after I wrote to them? No. It continues even now.

So who's to say they'll stand behind their new policy or even uphold it?

[Vincent Wright]

Yvonne,
Sorry to hear that you're having to go through this. And, indeed, you bring up a very good point. I've have my fair share of such "anomalies", myself:

1. for about 4-5 weeks, Twitter showed about 5,800 fewer tweets. After asking them to correct it and waiting patiently, they finally corrected it.

2. Going through another, much more aggravating matter with Google's blogspot platform where one of my oldest blogs was deleted by Google. Then with a bit of protest, it was restored (www.SocialMediaConsortium.com ) BUT, upon restoring the blog about 4 or 5 weeks ago, Google still doesn't permit me to POST to the blog. Thus, I'm working with a friend to help me move it to a much better platform. (I have lots of other blogger blogs which have not been affected this way but, it sends a bit of a chill up your spine to realize a company can curtail your freedom of speech and, yet, take their time to restore it...

Wishing you the best...
+Vincent

[Mari-Lyn Harris]

Who else should it belong to? there has to be responsibility and accountability to each person that uses any app, unless the app has used your content for something else or with malicious intent.

Mari-Lyn